[mu2002cs]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

The Build Your Own capability is now available on bmwusa.com.

However, while all 4 interiors are listed, you can only build Pure Impulse. Also, the site shows that the IRS Tax Credit is $7500. The IRS site shows $3793.

[mu2002cs]

Sorry - NOW available!

[ddk632]

Nice, finally!

"Just choose a color and wheels" and it's done, lol.

[jadnashuanh]

And, since the worldwide first year's production has been sold out for months, you'll likely not be able to customize a vehicle you may find, and then, you may not like the cost! While sold out means that all available production slots have been allocated to dealers, that does not necessarily mean that all of the dealers have pre-sold those they will be getting. So, you'd need to talk to a dealer and if what he already has on order has not been sold, see if he is willing to modify that order for you with a firm commitment to buy to your specific liking. Now, if I won Powerball, or something similar, I might look into getting one, but it's a bit dear for me. It's still fun to look, though!

[mu2002cs]

.....and, My BMW is actually working!

[drlonline]

Originally Posted by mu2002cs

.....and, My BMW is actually working!

I was beginning to believe I had a problem with my browser that I couldn't get MyBMW to work. Great to see it with full functionality now, including tracking my i8's production.

Also nice to see the Build Your Own feature now working for the i8. Interesting to note in the visuals for the vehicle that there are turn indicators above the wheel wells. As I've seen these in some photos of the car, but not others (e.g. the BMW.com configurator), it may be that this is a US only feature.

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by drlonline

Interesting to note in the visuals for the vehicle that there are turn indicators above the wheel wells. As I've seen these in some photos of the car, but not others (e.g. the BMW.com configurator), it may be that this is a US only feature.

Those are reflectors, US spec only. Hopefully, IND Painted Reflectors to the rescue!




X6M IND Painted Reflector Detail by ddk632, on Flickr

[Arezzo]

Originally Posted by mu2002cs

.....and, My BMW is actually working!

Mine shows Production Started, anybody showing Production Finished or further through MYBMW. The site does not seem to offer status levels like the dealer info.

[drlonline]

Originally Posted by Arezzo

Mine shows Production Started, anybody showing Production Finished or further through MYBMW. The site does not seem to offer status levels like the dealer info.

My status on MyBMW is at Production Ends (bar chart filled in up to point 2). The next activity on the bar chart is "En Route to the U.S.". This is consistent with the information I get from the hotline, which indicates the car has finished production and is awaiting release to a carrier. I suspect that once the car is on a ship, the next bar will be filled in indicating it is on its way here.

[Arezzo]

Originally Posted by drlonline

My status on MyBMW is at Production Ends (bar chart filled in up to point 2). The next activity on the bar chart is "En Route to the U.S.". This is consistent with the information I get from the hotline, which indicates the car has finished production and is awaiting release to a carrier. I suspect that once the car is on a ship, the next bar will be filled in indicating it is on its way here.

Thanks, that's good news to see a US version finished

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by ddk632

Those are reflectors, US spec only. Hopefully, IND Painted Reflectors to the rescue!

We already have them in the works

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by Nate@IND

We already have them in the works

Awesome, thanks for the heads up, Nate. Now this is a mod for the i8 I can get behind!

[M3WC]

Never really understood exactly how this car works. From the reviews you get the sense the car never runs out of electric power. Then why is it a plug in hybrid? How long does the charge last?

[Carac]

Originally Posted by JetBlack5OC

Never really understood exactly how this car works. From the reviews you get the sense the car never runs out of electric power. Then why is it a plug in hybrid? How long does the charge last?

In the hybrid mode it will deplete the battery until it reaches a certain point, then it will maintain the charge using the combustion engine. In sport mode, it more aggressively regenerates power and produces more via combustion to actually increase charge. The plug-in part of it is if you want to start with full charge all the time or stay in electric-only if you have a 20~ish mile commute.

Back to the BMWUSA site, the tax rebate makes me curious. Maybe BMW meets some other criteria that make it qualify for the full 7,500...or it's a typo

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by JetBlack5OC

Never really understood exactly how this car works. From the reviews you get the sense the car never runs out of electric power. Then why is it a plug in hybrid? How long does the charge last?

There are several ways that the car charges itself. One is with regen braking.

Another quite interesting one is with the 2nd electric motor mounted to the B38 mid-mounted engine. This is a small generator producing 8hp and 37 ft-lb torque, used for torque-fill to give that extra instant acceleration when going all out.

When all torque isn't used from the B38, the unused portion actually spins this 2nd electric motor generator backwards, sending energy to the battery for storage.

So, the way the car charges itself is highly dependent on your driving style. Downhill coasting using regen braking, and mixed driving, will tend to charge the battery more.

So, you will have a flux in the state of battery charge over the course of a trip.

Of course, the cost is efficiency; the more the B38 is used, the worse off your overall fuel economy will be.

Hence, plugging in the car allows the battery to be fully charged, and consequently, less energy will be needed during the trip to maintain it, increasing overall efficiency of the trip.

The all-electric range has been quoted from 15-18 miles by journalists in the real world and 22 miles officially by BMW. The real overall range of the car is limitless as long as you keep gas in the fuel tank; it's the efficiency that will be the variable depending on how you drive.

[drlonline]

Originally Posted by Carac

In the hybrid mode it will deplete the battery until it reaches a certain point, then it will maintain the charge using the combustion engine. In sport mode, it more aggressively regenerates power and produces more via combustion to actually increase charge. The plug-in part of it is if you want to start with full charge all the time or stay in electric-only if you have a 20~ish mile commute.

Back to the BMWUSA site, the tax rebate makes me curious. Maybe BMW meets some other criteria that make it qualify for the full 7,500...or it's a typo

Regarding the tax rebate, if you click on the "Learn More" link, it will take you to a tax calculator where you'll see the credit is indicated as "up to $7500". You'll also find another "Learn More" link. Click on that and it takes you to a DOE website. If you then click on the Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Tax Credit, you'll be taken to other pages with more links. Eventually you'll get to the page indicating the i8 qualifies for a tax credit of $3793. By comparison, the i3 gets the full $7500 because it is has a larger capacity battery (this is what determines the amount of credit).

[Carac]

Originally Posted by drlonline

Regarding the tax rebate, if you click on the "Learn More" link, it will take you to a tax calculator where you'll see the credit is indicated as "up to $7500". You'll also find another "Learn More" link. Click on that and it takes you to a DOE website. If you then click on the Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Tax Credit, you'll be taken to other pages with more links. Eventually you'll get to the page indicating the i8 qualifies for a tax credit of $3793. By comparison, the i3 gets the full $7500 because it is has a larger capacity battery (this is what determines the amount of credit).

Then I guess they better update that line item on the "estimate" to read "Enter location to determine tax credit". Even if I lived in California, the state would only add up to $2500, so the max rebate would be $6293. I'd like to know where you get the full $7500 rebate in the US. It is misleading to just put $7500 in the estimate box, especially if the max is really below their quoted number.

[jadnashuanh]

In some places, in addition to the federal and state tax credits, some counties are also providing one, which could increase the whole amount due. For someone thinking about buying the i8 this shouldn't be an issue, but the tax credits are just that, and if your tax bill is not big enough, that will limit how much of it you get - it cannot be carried over to the next year, and is limited by your tax bill in the year of purchase. If your tax accountant got your tax bill down to nearly nothing...you'd not get ANY of the federal tax credit at all!

[Imola.ZHP]

Payoff on my house is less than $136k, working a re-fi of $134,750.

Must be nice.

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Payoff on my house is less than $136k, working a re-fi of $134,750.

Must be nice.

Yeah but does your house have scissor doors?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Payoff on my house is less than $136k, working a re-fi of $134,750.

Must be nice.

You can sleep in your car, but you can't drive your house. Life is full of tough decisions.

[shivaswrath]

The gray accents on gray make the i8 exterior color palette so much more palatable....I thought we could only have blue!